“Be kind” During New Zealand’s first COVID lockdown, I lost track of the number of journalists, DJs, Mayors and other commentators and public figures urging us all to be kind to each other. In the current resurgence, we are again being urged by all and sundry to be kind
The word for today is… callous (adj) – Unfeeling; emotionally hardened Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : A callus is a hard, thickened area of skin that develops usually from friction or irritation over time. Such a hardened area often leaves one less sensitive to the touch, so it’s no surprise
Lewis Andrew sojournal.co.nz So some poor woman is in trouble for posting about giving her husband a didgeridoo for Father’s Day. This unfortunate ‘influencer’ has already been in trouble for this particular sin for wearing her hair in two long braids earlier in the year. So let’
The word for today is… bowdlerize (verb) – To remove material that is considered offensive or objectionable from (a book, for example); expurgate. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Few editors have achieved the notoriety of Thomas Bowdler. He was trained as a physician, but when illness prevented him from practicing medicine,
The word for today is… anomaly (noun) – 1. Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule. 2. One that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify. 3. (Astronomy) The angular deviation, as observed from the sun, of a planet from its perihelion. Source : The Free
The word for today is… alienist (noun) – A physician who evaluates the competence of defendants to stand trial. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “One who scientifically treats or studies mental illness,” 1864, from French aliéniste, from alienation in the sense of “insanity, loss of mental faculty” (compare alienation, since 15th
The word for today is… esoteric (adj) – 1. (a) Intended for or understood by only a small group, especially one with specialised knowledge or interests. b. Relating to or being a small group with specialised knowledge or interests. 2. Not known by or suitable for the public; private. (noun) – 1.
The word for today is… collateral (adj) – 1. Situated or running side by side; parallel. 2. Coinciding in tendency or effect; concomitant or accompanying. 3. Serving to support or corroborate. 4. Of a secondary nature; subordinate. 5. Of, relating to, or guaranteed by a security pledged against the performance of
Shannon Roberts mercatornet.com Shannon Roberts is co-editor of MercatorNet’s blog on population issues, Demography is Destiny. While she has a background as a barrister, writing has been a life-long passion and she has contributed to a range of publications. She has regularly written on demographic issues for almost
One of the more remarkable facts about the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) is just how little we actually know about them. Already extinct on the Australian mainland, the species vanished in little over a century after the arrival of Europeans in Tasmania. Although hunting was previously blamed for its extinction, it
The word for today is… conspiracy (noun) – 1. An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act. 2. A group of conspirators. 3. (Law) An agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime or accomplish a legal purpose through illegal action. 4. A joining or acting
The word for today is… parsimonious (adj) – 1. Excessively sparing or frugal. 2. Accounting for observed data with a relatively simple explanation. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : English isn’t stingy when it comes to synonyms of parsimonious. Stingy, close, penurious, and miserly are a few terms that, like parsimonious,
The word for today is… louche (adj) – Of questionable morality or repute. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Louche ultimately comes from the Latin word luscus, meaning “blind in one eye” or “having poor sight.” This Latin term gave rise to the French louche, meaning “squinting” or “cross-eyed.” The French gave
Victoria became the first state in Australia to legalise state-sanctioned suicide – or, to use the preferred bland euphemism, “Voluntary Assisted Dying” – last year. It’s also taking its first steps on the slippery slope that death-fanciers insist doesn’t exist. More than 300 people have applied to end their lives
The word for today is… internecine (adj) – 1. Of or relating to struggle within a nation, organisation, or group. 2. Mutually destructive; ruinous or fatal to both sides. 3. Characterised by bloodshed or carnage. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : 1660s, “deadly, destructive,” from Latin internecinus “very deadly, murderous, destructive,” from
